BY CLIFF SMELLEY
What are you thankful for?
If you ask the players for the Bradford High School football team, they’ll tell you they’re thankful to be practicing and preparing for a game during a holiday week.
“We’re excited. Even though it’s Thanksgiving break, we’re still going to work,” senior Jy’Quez Cason said following his team’s 24-14 Region 2-2A semifinal win over Berkeley Prep. “We’ve got 48 hours to celebrate. Then, we’re back on the field.”
The Tornadoes, who are the top seed in the region and fourth in the Florida High School Athletic Association/MaxPreps Class 2A power rankings, will host the Region 2 championship game on Friday, Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m. Their opponent is one they and Bradford fans have become familiar with over the last four years — Cocoa, which is trying to win its fourth straight state championship. The Tigers (7-4) beat Bradford in the state semifinals in 2022 and in the state championship game in 2023.
Bradford and Cocoa also squared off against each other in this season’s kickoff classic, with the Tigers winning that game as well.
The Region 2 champion will play a state-semifinal game on Friday, Dec. 5.
Cocoa, which is 11th in the FHSAA/MaxPreps power rankings and the third seed in the region, had to survive in overtime in its Region 2 semifinal game — a 34-33 road win over second seed Calvary Christian (ranked eighth in all of 2A). The Tigers led 24-6 at the half, but were held to a just a fourth-quarter field goal in the second half.
The Tigers had a chance to score more points, though, but an interception inside Calvary Christian’s 20-yard line in the final two minutes led to the host team’s touchdown drive that sent the game into overtime.
Cocoa blocked the extra point following Calvary Christian’s overtime touchdown and then answered with a touchdown of its own and a successful PAT, setting up yet another postseason game between the Tigers and the Tornadoes.
When asked what his team needs to do to get past Cocoa, Rodgers said, “We have to be the most physical team every single play. Not some of the plays. You have to do it every play because you don’t know which one’s going to be the one to turn the tide.”
Rodgers said another key will be making open-field tackles.
“At the skill positions, they’re really good,” Rodgers said, “but so are we.”
Sophomore defensive back Caiden Carn, who accounted for the final 10-point margin of victory against Berkeley Prep with a pick-six, said, “We’ve got to come ready, focus all week and get it done.”
Postseason history
Cocoa is in the playoffs for the 22nd straight year and making its 27th appearance overall. The Tigers, who are looking to go to the state semifinals for the 19th straight year and to the state finals for the 5th straight year, have a postseason record is 63-19.
The Tigers have won seven state championships — 7-6 over Godby in the 2008 3A final; 27-13 over Glades Central in the 2009 2A final; 14-13 over Glades Central in the 2010 2A final; 31-17 over Bolles in the 2016 4A final; 38-31 over Florida High in in the 2022 2S final; 20-6 over Bradford in the 2023 2S final; and 38-27 over Gadsden County in the 2024 2A final.
Cocoa was a state runner-up in 2017 (13-10 loss to Raines in 4A), 2018 (27-13 loss to Raines in 4A) and 2021 (21-19 loss to Cardinal Gibbons in 4A).
2025 season
The Tigers have been playing an extremely tough schedule every year. This season, Cocoa played seven teams in the regular season that qualified for the playoffs. The Tigers went 2-4 in its first six games, with four of those opponents finishing the regular season with top-10 FHSAA/MaxPreps power rankings in their respectively classes.
Cocoa opened the season with a 30-24, two-overtime win over Merritt Island, ranked eighth in 3A. The Tigers then lost 19-14 to sixth-ranked, 5A Mainland and 38-3 to second-ranked, 7A Vero Beach.
The Tigers rebounded with a 37-0 win over 5A Heritage, but then dropped two straight — 25-13 against sixth-ranked, 3A Eau Gallie and 28-6 against 16th-ranked, 4A Norland.
Cocoa is now in the midst of a five-game winning streak, which began with a 27-6 win over 12th-ranked, 2A The Villages. The Tigers finished the regular season with a 38-3 win over 2A Astronaut and a 36-0 win over 4A Rockledge before opening the postseason with a 42-13 win over 19th-ranked Newberry in the Region 2 quarterfinals.
The Tigers are scoring an average of 25 points per game, while opponents are averaging 17. During its win streak, Cocoa has averaged 35 points per game, while opponents are averaging 11.
Offensively, the Tigers are averaging 188 passing yards per game and 131 rushing yards per game.
Junior quarterback Champ Smith, who’s played in 10 games, has completed 161 of 279 passes for 1,905 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s thrown 11 interceptions.
Smith went 14 of 25 for 211 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Calvary Christian.
The receiving corps consists of 10 players who are averaging 10 yards or more per catch, led by junior Tank White. White has 38 receptions for 467 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished the Calvary Christian game with four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown.
Junior Zay Hawkins had one catch for 66 yards and a touchdown in the Region 2 semifinal game. For the season (eight games), he has 17 receptions for 282 yards and four touchdowns
Sophomore Cayman Varis, who’s played in 10 games, has 24 catches for 251 yards and a touchdown, while junior Jamal Smith, who’s also played 10 games, has 21 catches for 222 yards.
Sophomore running back Javeon Scott, who’s played in nine games, leads the rushing attack with 504 yards and six touchdowns on 71 carries — an average of 7 yards per attempt.
Zaylan Chapple, a sophomore wide receiver, has 393 yards and six touchdowns on 80 rushing attempts.
Cocoa has committed 22 turnovers (16 interceptions, six fumbles) this season.
The Telegraph-Times-Monitor was able to find stats for all but three of Cocoa’s opponents. Based on those eight games, the Tigers’ defense is allowing an average of 155 rushing yards per game and 138 passing yards per game.
Junior linebacker Kyree Brooks leads the team in tackles with 107, while senior defensive back O’Kece Battle has 68. Senior lineman Chavaris Redman Thompson and senior linebacker D.J. Cooper have 58 and 56 tackles, respectively.
Senior lineman Jermaine Waters is tops on the team in sacks with 11 and in tackles for loss with 17. Brooks has 11 tackles for loss.
The Tigers have created 15 turnovers (nine fumbles, six interceptions).
